Thread: Very finicky skin - could a straight razor help?

Originally Posted by Utopian

I have found that not everyone is willing to bother with the added effort of a straight razor, but everyone I have convinced to try a DE razor has been happy with it. Several vendors offer sample packs of a variety of blades, which greatly increase the odds of quickly finding an optimal blade/razor combination.

Better face prep, including a good soap and a decent brush, will improve any type of shaving. For that reason, an investment in that direction is a great start regardless of what kind of shaving method you choose.

Yes, that has been my experience also. My Nephews kid started shaving a year ago with an all singing and dancing Gillette multi blade razor and canned goo. Wasn't interested in DEs, never mind straight razors, until this Christmas. He mentioned that he was looking at DEs and soap for sensitive skin online. Fixed him up with a mild shaving Gillette super speed and a few different blades, a synthetic brush and some soaps/creams. Ran into him a few days ago and he said he was really enjoying the DE, brush and soaps. I don't think he will ever want to put up with the cost, learning curve and expense of using a straight razor.

Having and knowing how to use a DE is a great back up idea for anyone only having 1 straight razor. With having only 1 straight razor you will almost inevitably drop it and damage it or mess up the edge with poor honing as a beginner. That means you will be out a razor while you send it out for honing. Sure you can jump into honing your own right away but there is added expense there with buying the proper honing set up and your initial results will likely cause you very poor shaves. Anyway, not to dissuade you from using a straight but merely to point out there is more than meets the eye with this sport.

Bob

A DE is sounding more and more like a good idea (especially as a backup or if don't have time for the stropping and such). A couple of days ago, I ordered a cheap SR on ebay so that I could blunt the blade and (hopefully) use it to build up some dexterity. I've seen a few threads on here about using "practice razors".

In my experience with cartridges, WTG is unpleasant and XTG/ATG is awful. As far as the grain on my neck, it kind of looks like an electromagnetic field, hehe. It's vertical at my jaw line and all the way down the front and transitions to fully horizontal as it gets farther away from the jaw/front. Actually, it transitions to horizontal on one side and ends up in a kind of "swirl" on the other. Some of the hair on the neck also seems to grow closer to parallel to the skin than out of the skin. (This causes my electric razor to be rather ineffective on my neck...)

Maybe a DE, a "practice" SR and a quality brush are a good place to start? I already have some decent water stones that I use for my kitchen knives, so maybe a strop wouldn't be a bad idea either. There's no reason I couldn't use my razor strop for my kitchen knives is there?

Thanks a ton for all the advice!

+1 on the DE. They are a huge improvement over cartridges and if you can find the right combo of razor and blade you can get excellent shaves. Also it will allow you to focus on getting your prep figured out, finding the best soaps for you, getting your lathering down and be able to find out the best post shave for you too. That way all the above is second nature before you move onto straights and you can focus entirely on learning your straight technique. I'm not saying don't use a straight at all but I definately wouldn't try and use one exclusively in your position.

It sounds like you have similar skin and beard to myself. I also didn't shave for 2-3 years at one point because of ingrowns and irritation. I tried just about every cart system and none worked for me but they all cost me a fortune as my beard is so thick I could only comfortably use a cartridge once, as soon as I shaved my chin it was blunt.

Out of my DE's or SE's I find I get the most comfortable shaves (no irritation) with a Murker 34C combo'd with a PolSilver SI. But it really is surprising how much of a difference a blade makes, if I try to use a Personna Lab Blue for example even the 34C tugs causing me irritation but as always YMMV.

Originally Posted by seanb

Maybe a DE, a "practice" SR and a quality brush are a good place to start? I already have some decent water stones that I use for my kitchen knives, so maybe a strop wouldn't be a bad idea either. There's no reason I couldn't use my razor strop for my kitchen knives is there?

Thanks a ton for all the advice!

Don't forget a decent soap/cream to go with that brush and learning how to make a good lather. Making a good lather takes practice too.

I'd do some research to see if the water hones you already have are appropriate for honing a straight razor first. There is already a long thread about somebody with experience honing chisels and the like having problems using the hones they already have for those same chisels. Honing a straight razor is vaguely similar to honing a kitchen but different. maybe even quite a bit different. Do not underestimate the learning curve and frustration that can be involved in learning to hone a straight razor.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

I'd do some research to see if the water hones you already have are appropriate for honing a straight razor first. There is already a long thread about somebody with experience honing chisels and the like having problems using the hones they already have for those same chisels. Honing a straight razor is vaguely similar to honing a kitchen but different. maybe even quite a bit different. Do not underestimate the learning curve and frustration that can be involved in learning to hone a straight razor.

I agree. It's not an undertaking to be taken lightly. Having sharpened knives before, I really just had to come at honing with a blank slate and no pre-conceptions. Basically, admit that I know nothing about it and soak up as much learning as I could before moving that direction. I KNOW I saved myself *alot* of frustration with this approach.

Best,
Simon

Ah, good points about honing. I do have water stones, but even if I started with a SR tomorrow, I'd still send it off to get professionally honed for quite some time before trying to learn to hone myself. I've read on here that the "shave test" might be the most important of all the sharpness tests, and I figure you must know how to shave before you can properly do a shave test!

Also on soaps/brushes/etc: Right now I'm looking at the DE kits on SRD. I have to say that I wish SRD's DE kits came with a blade sample pack instead of just a box of blades (or at least an option to substitute a sample pack).

Yes, you do have water stones but are they the right grit ranges for razor honing? Normally a 1K hone sets the bevel, 3 or 4K hone is next and then an 8K. You can spend more time on a 3-4K hone and set a bevel in lieu of the 1K. You should be able to shave off the 8K hone but most got to 12K or higher then finish on something like Crox before stropping. Do you have any hones in that range?

Bob

Originally Posted by seanb

Ah, sorry. I haven't actually tried a DE safety razor yet. How similar would they be to straight razors in such a situation? Cost isn't such a big issue - I just want to shave without my face being a disaster.

I have a really good example. A friend of mine had exactly the conditions you describe. I was always extolling the virtues of DE shaving but he declined to try saying nothing would work and that's why he always sported a goatee.
Well his wife overheard me telling him to change to a DE as she hated his beard, and she asked if I would shave him to prove my point. Well I'll admit to being a little nervous but long story short version, he was amazed. He borrowed one of my DE razors and after just a couple of weeks sent it back saying he was so impressed he'd bought his own. Two years on smooth face no in growing no razor burn happy man and happy wife. Try it you never know, he'd spent 35 years hating shaving now he loves it. Hope this helps

Originally Posted by Anthony1954

I have a really good example...

Thanks! I'm hoping that will be my result also.

Originally Posted by BobH

Do you have any hones in that range?

I can't remember off the top of my head, but I think I have 1k, 3k and 6k stones. Guess I'll probably want another stone when I actually start honing...

Originally Posted by seanb

I can't remember off the top of my head, but I think I have 1k, 3k and 6k stones. Guess I'll probably want another stone when I actually start honing...

Yes and no. You can shave off a 1K (Search out the 1K shave test) as well as a 3K, 4K, 6K, etc. Plenty people here have shaved off those stones for years.

I would say immediately, it's not another stone you need, but a second razor..and a third and so on. I keep my pro-honed razor as a holy grail to compare my progress with other razors. I don't even shave with it.

So, a few more razors won't hurt. They can be dirty birdies as long as the blade is good.

Meanwhile, as the interest grabs your fancy, you may turn your attention to the path of how to refresh your razor first. And, that will usually be on a higher grit stone than a 6K.